It was a beautiful, enchanting day, Parisians strolling down the sides of
the cobbled streets to make way for the passing carriages pulled by jaunty,
young horses - every pretty building looked as if it had just jumped out of
a painting, every side of Paris touched by sunbeams.. all except the Opera
House, which loomed over the whole city, casting shadows that followed men
and women who walked before it's great figure. The building itself seemed
to be alive with some sort of ice that whispered across the ears of the
people in the shade, making the hair on their arms stand on end and quicken
their pace to the sunlight subconsciously.
Of course, the people of Paris were so busy enjoying the sunshine and nice weather altogether, they failed to even give the shady Opera House a passing glance. No doubt about it, the story of the Phantom of the opera had spread even further than France once it was news... the chorus girl kidnapped and held captive by the evil man until her fiancé bravely rescued her... they were now a happy couple living peacefully in a fancy little flat just outside Paris, and probably both had forgotten about the Opera Ghost by then!
Now it just so happens, the former chorus girl, Madame Christine de Chagny, and her charming, young husband, Monsieur Raoul de Chagny were taking a carriage ride through the sunny maze of buildings and gardens which made up France's capital city. They were the happiest couple in all of romantic Paris, and you couldn't help but turn your head towards them and smile as you watched them share a quiet conversation you couldn't quite hear, but you could see the love in their eyes towards each other, which was so powerful it radiated around them like a magical aura, and you could almost expect roses to bloom on the dusty floor of the carriage they rode in!
Yes, a lot of Paris was jealous of Christine and Raoul de Chagny's love for each other, and it was a very rare thing to see either without the most dazzling smile on their faces. Oh the smiles were wonderful - they spoke to the world soundlessly, saying that no matter what, they would always love each other, and they would always battle through thick and thin to be together forever.
But on this specific carriage ride, as Raoul was going on enthusiastically about their upcoming honeymoon, (such newly-weds as they were), Christine's face fell, which Monsieur de Chagny failed to realize, as he was staring out the window, fantasizing. Instantaneously, it seemed, Christine's eyes were locked hypnotically to the looming Opera House which they slowly came upon - while just at that moment, a large group of people stepped across the street in front of the carriage, leaving Christine to stare transfixed on the large building in the shadows. Raoul's voice was muted to the young woman's ears, as a cold chill crept up her spine.
He's still alive, she thought, he's still alive, I'd swear it with my hand on the Holy Bible, he still roams five stories beneath the ground...
"My love?"
Christine finally tore her eyes away from the building, waken from the trance by Raoul.
"Christine, dear, are you all right?" He asked, studying her pale features, at last glancing out at the Opera House. "Perhaps we should return home?"
Christine wrapped her shawl tightly around her shoulders and said breathlessly, "Yes." She gave a small smile and a heart-warming laugh at her own foolishness. There is no phantom of the opera, she thought in silent mocking of her own stupidity, he's dead... oh God, what have I done? What am I thinking, he's dead, I shouldn't care... "Yes, it's getting chilly and it will be dark soon."
Raoul gave a comforting smile and called up to the carriage driver to take them back home.
"Thank you," Christine said sweetly, "Now what were you saying when I so rudely interrupted you?"
Raoul launched back into his rambling, though this time Christine listened to every word, the Opera House drifting further behind the couple, and slowly falling back into the distant oblivion with the busy Parisian streets as they rode away back toward their inconspicuous, serene abode, where they could live in fake ignorance of the past events that had occurred merely a week before. Though they knew they could not hide forever - this was not a life they wanted to live; they had no desire to mask themselves as Erik had. Raoul and Christine's thoughts of the Phantom fell behind them along with the Opera House, but they knew the curious, suspenseful moments would drift back into their heads another day... but so far, that day had not come, and they had nothing to worry about.
Though what they didn't know, was that they DID have something to worry about. Erik was still very much alive, and as long as he lived, he loved Christine. And as long as the Phantom still lived, despite the dangerous feeling of power that radiated off of the masked man, Christine still loved him back.
Such a horrible thing fate can be!
A/N: So how'd you like it so far? Such a horrible thing fate can be indeed - this cannot be good for poor Raoul de Chagny.. *hint hint* :)
Of course, the people of Paris were so busy enjoying the sunshine and nice weather altogether, they failed to even give the shady Opera House a passing glance. No doubt about it, the story of the Phantom of the opera had spread even further than France once it was news... the chorus girl kidnapped and held captive by the evil man until her fiancé bravely rescued her... they were now a happy couple living peacefully in a fancy little flat just outside Paris, and probably both had forgotten about the Opera Ghost by then!
Now it just so happens, the former chorus girl, Madame Christine de Chagny, and her charming, young husband, Monsieur Raoul de Chagny were taking a carriage ride through the sunny maze of buildings and gardens which made up France's capital city. They were the happiest couple in all of romantic Paris, and you couldn't help but turn your head towards them and smile as you watched them share a quiet conversation you couldn't quite hear, but you could see the love in their eyes towards each other, which was so powerful it radiated around them like a magical aura, and you could almost expect roses to bloom on the dusty floor of the carriage they rode in!
Yes, a lot of Paris was jealous of Christine and Raoul de Chagny's love for each other, and it was a very rare thing to see either without the most dazzling smile on their faces. Oh the smiles were wonderful - they spoke to the world soundlessly, saying that no matter what, they would always love each other, and they would always battle through thick and thin to be together forever.
But on this specific carriage ride, as Raoul was going on enthusiastically about their upcoming honeymoon, (such newly-weds as they were), Christine's face fell, which Monsieur de Chagny failed to realize, as he was staring out the window, fantasizing. Instantaneously, it seemed, Christine's eyes were locked hypnotically to the looming Opera House which they slowly came upon - while just at that moment, a large group of people stepped across the street in front of the carriage, leaving Christine to stare transfixed on the large building in the shadows. Raoul's voice was muted to the young woman's ears, as a cold chill crept up her spine.
He's still alive, she thought, he's still alive, I'd swear it with my hand on the Holy Bible, he still roams five stories beneath the ground...
"My love?"
Christine finally tore her eyes away from the building, waken from the trance by Raoul.
"Christine, dear, are you all right?" He asked, studying her pale features, at last glancing out at the Opera House. "Perhaps we should return home?"
Christine wrapped her shawl tightly around her shoulders and said breathlessly, "Yes." She gave a small smile and a heart-warming laugh at her own foolishness. There is no phantom of the opera, she thought in silent mocking of her own stupidity, he's dead... oh God, what have I done? What am I thinking, he's dead, I shouldn't care... "Yes, it's getting chilly and it will be dark soon."
Raoul gave a comforting smile and called up to the carriage driver to take them back home.
"Thank you," Christine said sweetly, "Now what were you saying when I so rudely interrupted you?"
Raoul launched back into his rambling, though this time Christine listened to every word, the Opera House drifting further behind the couple, and slowly falling back into the distant oblivion with the busy Parisian streets as they rode away back toward their inconspicuous, serene abode, where they could live in fake ignorance of the past events that had occurred merely a week before. Though they knew they could not hide forever - this was not a life they wanted to live; they had no desire to mask themselves as Erik had. Raoul and Christine's thoughts of the Phantom fell behind them along with the Opera House, but they knew the curious, suspenseful moments would drift back into their heads another day... but so far, that day had not come, and they had nothing to worry about.
Though what they didn't know, was that they DID have something to worry about. Erik was still very much alive, and as long as he lived, he loved Christine. And as long as the Phantom still lived, despite the dangerous feeling of power that radiated off of the masked man, Christine still loved him back.
Such a horrible thing fate can be!
A/N: So how'd you like it so far? Such a horrible thing fate can be indeed - this cannot be good for poor Raoul de Chagny.. *hint hint* :)